Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in mood regulation and overall feelings of happiness, satisfaction and optimism, and there are natural ways to help boost its production and levels. While not a substitute for responsible medical consultation and care, the following 7 recommendations are drug-free ways to feel better and more energized. PHYSICAL ACTIVITYSUN & NATURE NUTRIENT DENSE FOODMASSAGE THERAPY SOCIAL CONNECTIONSRESTORATIVE SLEEPMANAGE STRESSAnd remember: THERE IS NO LIMIT TO HOW GOOD, HOW HEALTHY & HOW ENERGIZED YOU CAN FEEL! https://drmarierogers.blogspot.com/2023/11/8-ways-to-naturally-elevate-your.htmlhttps://drmarierogers.blogspot.com

In this episode, you will be invited to take a look at your life and do a mini self-assessment to determine your risk and potential level of executive functioning fatigue (EFF) and help strategize your next steps to help bring clarity, focus and energy back into your life. In addition, the LIFE IN FOCUS: A Self-Discovery Journal for Powerful Transformation's POWER POINTS will be outlined and the POWER OF YOUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE will be discussed. You will be asked to reflect on the influence those around you have on your life AND the influence YOU have on those who spend time with and around you. What is the energy you're bringing to your world? https://drmarierogers.blogspot.com

Many of us intuitively know that there is a relationship between our gut and our emotions and well being, as well as energy levels. The good news is that science is powerfully backing this knowledge and everyday we are learning more and more about the relationship nutrition and stress management play in our lives and overall health. Known as the second brain, the gut-brain connection or axis is the bi-directional communication between your brain and trillions of microbes living within your digestive tract.Described as the "brain in your gut," it is here that we locate the enteric nervous system. It’s actually gaining speed in the specialty area of psychiatry, now aptly termed  NUTRITIONAL PSYCHIATRY. Nutritional psychiatry is an accelerating field that incorporates food and supplements in the treatment of psychiatric or mental health conditions. To learn more and go into greater depth about this topic, please visit this article (under the same name) published on LinkedIn under my name --> Marie T. Rogers, PhD.  #psychoneuroimmunology #guthealth #immunefunction #psychiatry #IBS #entericsystem https://drmarierogers.blogspot.com

"And all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” – Oscar WildeThe more connected we are with nature, the less connected we will be to stress. Our natural world is our playground and whether you are an outdoor enthusiast or a homebody, or somebody somewhere in the middle, we all, to some degree, crave the outdoors. Nature is one of the best stress management interventions we have as time spent outdoors can generate many positive emotions such as calmness and serenity, joy, and creativity. It also boosts concentration and focus. Time spent in nature has been shown to lower blood pressure and stress hormone levels, improve immune functioning and mood, and reduce feelings of anxiety. https://drmarierogers.blogspot.com

How you begin your day will set the tone for your day. In today's busy world, it's easy to get caught up with endless to-do lists and mindless engagements that serve little purpose other than to keep you on the proverbial hamster wheel of busy-ness. A chronic state of busy-ness will not put you on the path to success. Success requires focused attention. You need to slow down long enough to mindfully create and energize a plan of action. This is where Dr. Rogers’ newly published journal workbook can help you. It comprises a daily, 12-week practice, in which you start your morning connecting with yourself and with your intention, gratitude, and your goals. Once per week, you will be invited to reflect upon a journal prompt. LIFE IN FOCUS: A Self-DIscovery Journal for Powerful Transformation Twelve weeks of FOCUSED attention and alignment on your part can help move your life forward by up to five years. Think about that. Years, not months, weeks or days. YEARS! A commitment of 12-weeks in which you consistently self-reflect and focus on intentional living,  goals that align with your higher purpose, gratitude, and joy has the power to advance your life by years. THERE IS NO LIMIT TO HOW GOOD, HOW HEALTHY AND HOW ENERGIZED YOU CAN FEELLIFE IN FOCUS A Self-Discovery Journal for Powerful Transformation ready is now available on for presale BOOKBABY’s BOOKSHOP.Now available on AMAZON —> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFGLZJH8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=P5LQAPE7ED85&keywords=life+in+focus%3A+a+self+discovery+journal+for+powerful+transformation&qid=1691868466&sprefix=%2Caps%2C132&sr=8-1https://drmarierogers.blogspot.com

People Can & Do Change Through ExperienceOne of the greatest myths many believe and often goes unchallenged is that "people don't change."  If this were true, then there would be no need for personal development seminars, psychotherapy, life coaching, leadership development courses, or any other self-motivating or self-enhancing activity, via books, journals, audiotapes, and on-line courses. Since self-improvement is a multi-billion dollar industry, it stands to reason that this cliche is simply untrue and needs to be put to rest. While for some, this concept is valid, but as far as a general statement, we need to re-think this one as advancements in neuroscience; specifically NEUROPLASTICITY indicate otherwise.https://drmarierogers.blogspot.com

Clarity in thinking amplifies wisdom.Your brain is constantly processing information, and does so with lightning speed. It quickly decides what stimuli to attend to and what to ignore. How the information is processed will determine the degree to which you feel focused, serene, calm, anxious, stressed, and/or discombobulated.Your executive functions are key to critical reasoning and problem solving. Critical reasoning and problem solving are negatively correlated with cognitive distortions.  As one goes up, the other goes down. In today’s episode, we are going to discuss cognitive distortions, connect these with the executive functions, and help suggest ways to clearer thinking and better living.https://drmarierogers.blogspot.com

Emotional and cognitive overload is the feeling you get when everything seems to be coming at you at once. The speed feels relentless and the demands are escalating exponentially.  Almost everyone can identify with the pressure of feelings of overwhelm. Too much to do and not enough time! The question, in that moment, becomes-What do I do? In this episode- you're going to learn about 3 actions you can take right away and two that are more of a longer range plan. You will also learn about a grounding technique that can quickly help calm an emerging panic attack. These strategies will help you feel a better sense of control and clarity.https://drmarierogers.blogspot.com

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/focus-driver-success-marie-t-rogers-ph-d-/?trackingId=IA4zhxDPQDKvvpyTdGP%2FsQ%3D%3DFocused attention is the brain's ability to actively focus on a target stimulus (or one thing) without being distracted by other stimuli.   IF YOU ARE PERSISTENT, YOU WILL ACHIEVE ITIF YOU ARE CONSISTENT, YOU WILL KEEP ITFocus is an important mental or cognitive skill. In short, it means directed attention. Learn powerful ways to Power Up Your Focus! https://drmarierogers.blogspot.com

https://drmarierogers.blogspot.com/2021/09/stress-immune-system-executive.htmlTHE VAGUS NERVE AND THE SYMPATHETIC & PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEMSIn this episode, we unlock the mystery of our brain and nervous system in an effort to deepen our understanding of stress and immune functioning. Connecting our brain to different parts of our head, neck, and trunk are the 12 pairs of cranial nerves, each named for their structure and function. We are most interested in the 10th cranial nerves, the vagus nerve. Possessing both sensory and motor functions, it is the longest cranial nerve in the body (extending from head to abdomen). It communicates information from the ear canal, which contains the vestibulocochlear nerve, and parts of the throat. The throat plays an important role in calming the nervous system. By just simply humming, whether a tune or the equivalent of the Om mantra (familiar to yoga practitioners) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/healing-benefits-music-sound-marie-t-rogers-ph-d-/?trackingId=fbAtsMe6S6etIg1C8wUv%2BA%3D%3D, the vagus nerve will be stimulated. Since it is the fundamental regulator of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), its stimulation is directly associated with relaxation. The PNS is responsible for rest and digest, and its counterpart, the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is responsible for fight-or-flight, or freeze. https://drmarierogers.blogspot.com